India, France May Sign 36 Rafale Fighters Deal Next Week

New Delhi and Paris could sign a contract to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets as early as next week, The Times of India reported on Friday, citing defense sources.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — According to the newspaper, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday to sign an intergovernmental agreement on the Rafale deal, which could be followed by the signing of a commercial contract.

In April, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande agreed to supply the Indian Air Force with 36 French-built Rafale fighters.

The contract is still at the discussion stage, with the negotiating committee considering the 50 percent offset requirements, as well as the arms and equipment the fighters will be fitted with, The Times of India reported.

According to the newspaper, the delivery of the first aircraft to India will take place about two years after the contact is signed.

India and France have been negotiating the deal for over three years, during which time the deal's budget has almost doubled.

The initial price quoted to India for each of the 36 Rafale aircraft was 25 percent higher than the $200-million price tag offered to the Indian prime minister during his April visit to France.

The Rafale is a French fourth generation multirole twin-engine fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation.